Sherman Roberts, 70, a former Dallas real estate developer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery on Tuesday, according to U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. Roberts, who once led City Wide Community Development Corporation, admitted to bribing former Dallas city officials, Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and City Council Member Carolyn Davis, in exchange for their support on loans and low-income housing tax credits for his projects.
Court documents revealed Roberts gave thousands of dollars in cash to Council Member Davis, promising additional payments after her council term ended. In return, Davis lobbied for Roberts's projects, including Serenity Place, Runyon Springs, and Patriot’s Crossing, recommending Serenity Place receive a 9% low-income housing tax credit and voting to approve a $1.9 million city loan for the project. Roberts texted Davis after the vote, "Right now you and me are making money," to which Davis later asked for additional cash. Roberts agreed to her requests.
Roberts also paid Caraway a monthly $2,000 stipend and cash to secure support for the Patriot’s Crossing project, with Caraway preventing a request for proposal (RFP) that could have jeopardized Roberts’s plans. Caraway, who previously asked Roberts not to “forget about me,” received assurances from Roberts that “the money has never been an issue.”
Roberts is set for sentencing on March 12, 2025, and could face up to five years in federal prison. Caraway had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and tax evasion in 2019 and was sentenced to over four years in prison. Davis also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery but passed away in a car accident before her sentencing.
Roberts was one of three developers implicated in the Dallas bribery scandal. Developer Devin Hall pleaded guilty in August 2020, and Ruel Hamilton, associated with the Royal Crest project, is awaiting a retrial. The FBI’s Dallas Field Office led the investigation with IRS assistance, and the case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcus Busch and Donna Max.
